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Newly diagnosed with thyroid cancer and have 2 main concerns
Thyroid Cancer | Last Active: Oct 24, 2023 | Replies (140)Comment receiving replies
Ah, thanks @koh! My GERD is definitely much worse after the lobectomy and my suspicion was that the two are connected. I have been doing all that you have suggested. In addition, I have recently started having store bought (unsweetened, non-flavored) kefir while I wait for my kefir making process at home to resume (reactivating the grains) and I think that has been helping some. In a day or two I will be consuming the kefir made at home. I hope those probiotics continue to help.
I have the same issue as you - my body does not do well at all with most medications. I have to choose more natural means of fixing health issues most of the time. Famotidine and Omeprazole made my GERD worse.
How many weeks after your surgery did you test for TSH levels? And are you on Levothyroxine? Also my scar shows no sign of lightening more than a month after the surgery. In fact, it's become darker. But that is the least of my concerns right now. GERD is the main issue.
Replies to "Ah, thanks @koh! My GERD is definitely much worse after the lobectomy and my suspicion was..."
@cocha- as for the scar…. I was using silicone covering however it just kept getting lighter. It was never very big. Definitely give it time! The nurses at the hospital suggested I take picture of my scar every day so I could see the changes. This was very helpful because I could compare it to earlier pictures and see improvements.
I don’t think you need to worry about a dark scar a month after surgery.
By the way, after starting on kefir (and before taking levothyroxine) - store-bought initially and then home-made - I am happy to report that my GERD symptoms of a year and a half have become 95% better! It is surprising how a simple home remedy and a simple diet fixed this. I was also taking some papaya enzymes from time to time along with this, but never stopped the kefir regime. I believe the kefir reinstated the good bacteria in the gut which then took care of the acidity.
I thought this might help some GERD sufferers. 🙂
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@cocha- I think I had follow up bloodwork about a 4-5 weeks after surgery and then again about 6 weeks later…. I have been having blood work about every 6 weeks due to fluctuations in levels and symptoms.
I was having symptoms of thyroid disease and felt terrible. 4 months after surgery I had to go on Synthroid ( I wanted the brand name to start out to minimize any variables). As soon as I started the medication I felt better than I had, however it has been very difficult to get regulated on it. Very tricky!
From what I read, they often try and keep the thyroid number very low to prevent cancer from spreading, however I just kept feeling worse every time dose was increased. I changed doctors and this one seems to listen to my symptoms and considers changes.
My doctor said that my TSH numbers are in the normal range however this range might not be normal for me, so he looked at old blood work and said we could try and get me to a similar level and see how I feel.
Getting regulated on Synthroid has been tricky but the issues from not taking it were severe…..if you don’t feel well, definitely give yourself time to adjust to it and monitor your symptoms. The smallest increments can make big changes with how you feel, however it takes about 6 weeks for the levels to show in bloodwork.
Good luck!